Passport Requirements Change
Author: Mike Long; Published: Aug 28, 2010; Category: Big Bend Info, Current Events, Rio Grande Info; Tags: Big Bend Info, Canoeing, passport, Rafting, Rules & Regulations; 2 Comments
Ok, here is the latest update on Passport Requirements for going on river trips on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area of Texas. We are in receipt of a letter from the National Park Service, United States Department of Interior, that relates policy changes for River Usage on the Rio Grande along the Texas/Mexico border. These statements reflect changes in the enforcement of existing regulations by US Customs and Border Patrol.
The following are direct quotes from the letter we received from Big Bend National Park:
“First, a U.S. Passport is not required to use the river in Big Bend National Park or the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. Additionally, a U.S. Customs declaration form is no longer required for river trips.
Second, visitors and river outfitters may not use the Mexican bank of the river, as international border crossing is only legal at a Port of Entry. Visitors may not hike into Mexico or the side canyons of Mexico. Visitors additionally may not plan a trip to camp in Mexico or on the Mexican shore. The exception is in cases of emergency: visitors may land on the Mexican side of the river to scout rapids, to bail out a boat, to repack gear, and for other safety reasons.”
These policy changes were presented to us in a letter dated August 20, 2010.
If you have questions on how this new interpretation of the regulations will affect Desert Sports river trips, give us a shout (either email or give us a call). While these changes will have an effect on some of our camps and hikes, we are still able to visit the fantastic canyons of the Rio Grande. Stay tuned for more updates.
If you have questions on the new enforcement of these regulations and how they affect the current NPS policy changes we suggest contacting the following folks:
Bill Wellman, BBNP Superintendent; bill_wellman@nps.gov
David Elkowitz, BBNP Chief of Interpretation, david_elkowitz@nps.gov
Bill Brooks, Customs and Border Patrol, Marfa Sector, william.brooks@dhs.gov
Mexico Still Releasing Water
Author: Mike Long; Published: Aug 26, 2010; Category: Big Bend Info, Rio Grande Info; Tags: Big Bend Info, Canoeing, Rafting, Rio Grande; No Comments
The dam release on the Rio Conchos is still flowing. As of this morning, August 26, 2010, it has increased up to a bit over 2000 cfs (61 cms). This release has not reached the Rio Grande, but we would expect to see an increase in the gauge at the Presidio Bridge in the next 24 to 48 hours. The flow of the Rio Grande should come up a bit above the nice flow rates we have been having for the last few weeks.
Again, we do not have information on the duration of the Mexican Release and have no idea how long we can expect to have good flows in the Rio Grande. If you are planning a river trip for the fall, come on down while the river us UP!
Howdy from Desert Sports
Author: Desert Toad; Published: Apr 15, 2010; Category: General; Tags: Big Bend Info, Daily Report, New Itineraries; 5 Comments
Howdy! Welcome to the revamped Desert Sports website. We’ve decided to join the 21st century, and we hope you enjoy our new format. You’ll still see some of our old pages: the daily report, Big Bend info, and details on our guided tours, rentals and shuttles. Here are some new things you will find:
This blog for one. We’ll be posting current happenings with mountain bike trails and river trips. You’ll read local news from the Big Bend including the state park, the national park and local area. In addition to our Daily Report, we’ll be giving you updates on river use requirements and upcoming local and Desert Sports’ events. You can also sign up for RSS feed—so you’ll know when we post a new blog.
Looking on our website for information on a specific topic? Use our search feature to cover all the bases.
We’ve added some new itineraries for mountain biking in the Big Bend Ranch State Park. Stay tuned for new hiking and combination tour itineraries. We’ll be scheduling dates for some of our favorite tours, so check out our Featured Trips for your favorite activity.
We’ve kept some of the classic images, but now we’ve added many more. Check out the new photo galleries, including our Lower Canyons River Tours and our Mountain Biking Tours.
Now there’s a page featuring the Desert Sports store. If you’ve visited our shop near the Terlingua Ghost Town, then you may have bowled with Rubia, the dog, or sat on the adobe banco and watched the hooping at sunset. We wanted to dedicate a page to our funky, little shop in the blue and orange adobe building where we meet for trips, repair bikes and keep a supply biking accessories and outdoor retail.
We’ll continue to post gathered information on area weather and river levels on our Daily Report page so keep it bookmarked.
Let exploring the Desert Sports new website connect you to your next adventure in the Big Bend.